1948 Hillegas

Sale price: US $19,500.00

Vintage 1948 Hillegas midget race car, Ford powered with V8 60hp Crossfire engine. This car was built in 1948 and originally the Dugan Special, powered by a rare Ford V8 60hp Crossfire engine, engine has original Eddie Meyer aluminum heads with original Eddie Meyer twin carb aluminum intake with twin Stromberg 81s, Carbs are jetted to run gas or methanol. Engine has the rare Crossfire 180 degree racing crankshaft, bore is 2.680, stroke is 3.200, camshaft is an Isky 620-03,312 lift, tappet bores have been machined to accept larger base circle of mushroom tappets,Jahns pistons. 3 angle valve job on valves, oil pan has been baffled to oil in pan during racing, engine was balanced by Dick Simonecki at Ted Horns Paterson NJ machine shop Gasoline Alley. Engine has a Super Rare Harmon &Collins 8R101 vintage racing magneto and vintage racing water pump.This engine has every rare racing part you could buy for the Ford V8 60hp racing engine.Transmision is the original Cragar in/out box Frame has original buggy spring front suspension with lever shocks, all chrome plated, rear was updated to torsion bar suspension, vintage Halibrand magnesium racing rims with Vintage Firestone racing tires. Rear-end is Model A that is converted to a live axle with 4:11 gears and lever shocks.Body is the original hand formed aluminum body with all hand lettering , nice paint. 1948 Hillegass Midget RacerHiram Hillegass began building race cars in 1919 while working at Mack in Allentown, Pennsylvania. By the time he died in 1960, at the age of 65, he was recognized as one of the foremost builders of single seat race cars in the United States. He was elected to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1997. Hillegass is probably best known for his midgets, which he began building as the racing boom took off in the 1930’s. Midgets, as builders like Frank Kurtis and Pop Dreyer proved, were a viable business, and Hillegass approached them as such. Hillegass went to the extent of investing in cast iron bucks over which he could accurately, quickly, and repeatedly form the complex body panels that clothed his creations. Racers earned their living with the diminutive but shapely single-seaters, sometimes racing every evening of the week during the season, and twice or more a day on weekends. The cars and their engines had to be quick enough to command appearance money, bring home prize money regularly, and stand up to constant use and competition. This car most recently raced in the east coast vintage racing series.Also included is the trailer, which needs repainted.